Tricks of the Trade
by Blue-Collarward Contest
Summary: Bella Swan needs a plumber.  She also needs a new man in her life.   Can Edward Cullen, of Cullen Plumbing Services, help her fix both these problems?


Blue Collarward Contest

Pairing: Bella and Edward

Title: Tricks of the Trade

Disclaimer: Stephenie Meyer owns all characters.

Summary: Bella Swan needs a plumber. She also needs a new man in her life. Can Edward Cullen, of Cullen Plumbing Services, help her fix both these problems? My entry for the Blue Collarward Contest.

As I watched my boss Marcus sneak out of the office early I decided it was my entitlement to do the same. By the reek of his cheap aftershave it seemed obvious he was off to meet some unfortunate woman he had chatted up on one of the many internet dating sites he perused. The fact he was still resolutely single meant he was failing to win anyone over. As I switched my monitor off I had a passing sense of sympathy for the unsuspecting lady who was waiting to meet a Daniel Craig look-alike, when in reality she would get more of a Homer Simpson. Anyway, her loss was my gain, as I fled the office with a metaphorical skip and a jump.

Arriving home I opened a bottle of wine and glugged down half a glass as I stripped off my work clothes. I pulled on my robe as I returned to the kitchen to shove a pizza in the oven. As I washed some lettuce I was surprised to hear the doorbell ring. Puzzled, I headed to the door. I kept the safety chain on as I cracked the door open enough to see who was interrupting my wine time.

There was a man standing on my doorstep. Except_ man_ didn't seem to do him justice. It wouldn't be fair to compare this beautiful creature with the hoi polloi of society. He was tall and broad in the shoulders and I was willing to bet that those overalls he was wearing were covering up a multitude of toned muscles. His face was obviously a gift from the gods: cheekbones and a jawline that a male model would kill for, full lips and white teeth, eyes the color of spring greenery. He had thick, gorgeous hair that was standing up in wild peaks. And he was staring back at me.

"Um, yes?" I said, feeling a little dazzled. Yes, dazzled is the only word for it.

"Miss Swan? You called about your shower," he said. "Cullen Plumbing Services."

"You're early," I stammered. "A whole day early."

_Shut up!_ I screamed at myself. Being dazzled like this was affecting my brain function.

"Um, yes, sorry about that. I was in the neighborhood and took the chance I would catch you in," he smiled a gorgeous lopsided grin at me. "I could go away and come back tomorrow, if you like?"

"No!" I practically shrieked. "I mean, I really would like my shower fixed. I'll just open the door for you."

I shut it to release the safety chain and spent a good three seconds reminding myself to breathe. I tried to smooth my face into a calm mask of nonchalance before I opened the door and asked the sexiest man I had ever met to come in.

As I turned and let him into my tiny hallway I suddenly realized I was in the skimpiest bathrobe ever made and if I even tried to show him into the bathroom he would be getting the most stupendous view of my barely covered ass. I wasn't drunk or brazen enough for that.

"The bathroom is on the right," I gulped, waving my hand in the vague direction. Considering that I lived in the smallest possible apartment there was never going to be any need for detailed instructions. "The shower is in there," I tacked on at the end.

_Oh fucking hell Bella_, I yelled at myself. Of course the shower is in the bathroom. Mortification started seeping through my bones and I could feel the heat of embarrassment flaring on my face.

"Okay..." said the plumber, looking at me carefully. "Well, that's a good place to have it."

There was definitely a hint of a smirk there. A sexy smirk though. I opened my mouth and shut it again as if it were flapping loosely on a hinge, and decided just to pretend I had said nothing at all. Instead I stared at my feet for a moment and when I looked up he had turned and disappeared into the bathroom. Now seemed like a good time to put some more clothes on.

I shut my bedroom door behind me and grabbed a pair of jeans. That part was easy. But when I opened my drawer to find a bra I found myself staring at them, mentally running through different scenarios concerning which one would be best in the circumstances. After thirty seconds of that ridiculous waste of time I mentally slapped myself and picked a plain one. Slipping off my robe, I suddenly felt nervous and fumbling, as if I had no idea how the mechanics of a bra worked. I was topless in a room next to the sexy plumber... what if he walked in? My mind was whirling and my pulse felt a little jumped up. Okay, a lot jumped up. Well, it had been a long time. I managed the clasp eventually and yanked on a white long-sleeved t-shirt on top. I gave my hair a quick brush. Lip gloss was considered but it seemed to smack of too damn obvious.

I stepped into my small hallway to find him standing there. He had his arms folded and he was just staring at me with a tiny smile on his face. That part might have been in my imagination. The size of him meant that the hallway suddenly felt very crowded. I leaned back against my bedroom door, trying not to seem too eager to get up close and personal.

"Um, your shower pump has gone. It'll need to be replaced," he told me, looking serious all of a sudden. "I'll need to order the part for you."

"Okay," I nodded. Inside I was doing a happy dance because this meant he was coming back.

"It should take a couple of days to arrive. How about I come back on Thursday, about the same time?" he asked me.

"Yes, okay. I can arrange some time off for that," I replied. Fuck, I sounded like some idiot who was going to say "I can pencil that in" next.

"Great. I'll pencil that in then," he said.

I let out a snort, quickly covered up with a fake cough. I don't think he noticed as he was picking up his huge bag of tools. That bag looked really, really heavy but it didn't escape my observational skills that he made it look feather light.

"I have your number," he said. Me: happy dance again.

"Super, Mr...?" I raised one eyebrow in query, desperate to ignore the fact I had just said 'Super' in a ridiculous way.

"Cullen, as in Cullen Plumbing Services?" He was perhaps talking to me in a slower way now, like I was hard of hearing, or just plain stupid. "But please, call me Edward."

"Oh, right, Edward. Well, thanks for... coming." My mind was going into some sort of panic mode as I realized that every single thing I could possible utter would sound insane. Heat was flushing through my veins and into my face again.

Luckily, or perhaps to save me from further embarrassment, Edward had turned, twisted the lock on the door and was letting himself out.

"Bye, Miss Swan," he said to me as he turned to face me again.

"Please call me Bella," I gushed at him.

"Okay, Bella, I'll see you on Thursday about four o'clock," he said, starting to walk backwards and running his free hand through his hair. "And Bella..." he added.

"Yes?" I whispered, as if my voice was being crushed by my pounding heart, which was busy doing back flips all around my chest.

"I think something is burning," he said as he started to descend the stairs.

I closed the door and let the pizza continue to burn as I tried to work out what on earth had just happened to make me suddenly feel fifteen again.

xx~o~xx

The next few days passed in some sort of slow motion torture. I couldn't help myself from daydreaming about Edward Cullen in my bathroom, in my tiny hallway, in my bedroom. Yeah, I know, I was overthinking it all, in a bad, bad way. I did try really hard not to get carried away but every now and then I would realize I had stopped doing what I was supposed to be doing and was staring into the middle distance, looking like I had forgotten to take my medication or something. Anyway, Marcus the Asshole noticed on a few occasions and was quick to snap a snarky comment at me. Mike, the office accountant, seemed to notice too and took the chance to plunk himself down next to me while I was spaced out on my Edward thoughts. Thus I would come out of my reverie to find Mike Newton's overenthusiastic face looming at me.

By Thursday morning I was hiding by the photocopier running a very intense scenario, involving water and a soaking Edward, through my head.

"I take it that look on your face has nothing to do with the puppy dog eyes that Mike is making at you?" smiled Esme, one of my colleagues.

I rolled my eyes at the image. "No, definitely not," I answered with certainty.

"But there is a man involved somewhere?" she quizzed me. "Normally you don't look all moon faced over putting together presentations and reports for Marcus."

I paused for a second, but deep down I was desperate to tell someone. I drew in a breath, wondering how to explain I was living in a fantasy land with someone I had only met for a maximum of ten minutes. In fact he probably met women like me every day. I could feel myself practically deflate as I realized that, in all probability, Edward Cullen hadn't even noticed me.

Esme spared me from my discomfort by patting me on the arm. "Have some fun, Bella," she nodded at me. "You deserve it."

We both knew what she was referring to. Jacob Black, my lowlife former boyfriend for years, had unceremoniously dumped me six months ago for someone else. Ratbag. It had been messy and horrible...well, for me anyway. He simply waltzed out my life and started a new one with Leah, the ugly cow.

In fact, Leah was not ugly and was probably not a cow. It just made me feel slightly better to think of her in those terms. I had sat at home for the first three months piecing a broken heart back together. The next three months had seen an improvement but not enough for me to start dating again. So Esme's words hit a nerve...a painful one.

As I was taking a half day off I ignored Marcus' scowl and Mike's lovelorn glances as I escaped the office.

At home the plan was simple: have a quick lunch, change into something effortlessly stunning and arrange myself on the sofa for Edward to find me. Ha ha. I snacked on bits and pieces from the fridge while I surveyed my apartment and decided it needed some tidying. After that I decided to get out of my work clothes, pull on my robe and climb into bed with my book. I still had hours until Edward was due and watching the clock wasn't going to make it tick any faster.

About 3 o'clock I was jolted from my book by the doorbell. Stumbling towards the door, I truly expected to find Mrs. Clearwater from upstairs wanting to borrow an egg. I didn't bother with the safety chain and swung the door wide open.

Edward stood there, and for a fraction of a second his mouth popped open before he quickly smoothed his mouth into a small smile.

"Hi Bella," he said pleasantly.

Two things raced through my mind. First, I was wearing next to nothing _again_. Second, he remembered my name and it was ridiculously sexy coming out of his mouth.

"Umm, hi Edward," I said, trying to sound relaxed. "You are a bit early again. Sorry, I'm not properly dressed. I'm not doing this deliberately."

What a lame joke. I was cringing inside.

He walked past me as I stood aside to let him in. I thought he would hear my heart pounding like the siren call of the lonely floozie I was.

"I don't mind at all," he murmured faintly, really faintly; so faintly I can't be sure he wanted me to hear. Or perhaps he was just trying to mess with my mind. It was definitely messing with my pulse, blood pressure and hormones.

"I have your new shower pump here. I'll get started." He disappeared into the bathroom and I was left standing there wondering if my overactive imagination was playing cruel tricks on me. It vaguely registered with me that he wasn't wearing his overalls this time but blue jeans and a white tee.

I dived into the bedroom and stood in front of my wardrobe in utter confusion. What to wear for the handsome man in your flat who may or may not be flirting with you? I pulled on a pair of dark blue jeans and black camisole. Over that I pulled on a fine purple knit with a beautiful cowl neckline. It looked nice on me, even if I said so myself. I ran a brush through my hair and made myself take three deep calming breaths before I opened the door.

He was standing in the exact same spot as when I came out of my room last time except this time he looked a little nervous. He still looked gorgeous in the way I had remembered. Perhaps even more so. I could hardly look away from his sculpted cheekbones and the line of his jaw. His eyes were a beautiful vivid green and were looking straight at me.

"You look nice. Going out?" he asked me, reaching up to rake his hand through his hair in a way that made me want to reach up and tug it a bit.

Shit, I was over dressed for midafternoon. He could see right through my plan.

"Yes," I said. "Yes, I am." I gulped quietly and hoped he wouldn't ask for details.

"Bella, I am really sorry but there has been a mix-up." He was looking at me with an odd look. "The pump the supplier sent me is the wrong one. It has the right code number on the box, but the actual pump inside has the wrong code. You can see here..."

He leaned forward to show me. I leaned forward too but I couldn't concentrate on the tiny strip of numbers he was trying to show me. I was busy having a sensory overload experience. The nearness of him was suddenly overwhelming to me, the maleness of him seemed to be pulling fibers of me towards him. I could smell the fragrance of woods and greenery on him. I noticed his fingers were long and graceful.

"Oh," was all I could find to say. I leaned back from him, but only because it would have looked weird if I had stayed so damn close to him.

"I'll need to reorder the right one and came back another time," he was saying as I tried to kick-start my brain again. My thought processes were telling me two things. Edward was coming back but this also meant he was leaving now.

"Don't worry, I'm sure this happens all the time," I said with a small shrug of my shoulders. He was putting the pump back in its box and I could tell that if I didn't do something in the next ten seconds he was going to be walking out of my front door.

"Coffee?" I blurted.

"Coffee?" he repeated back to me.

There was an agonizing pause.

Then "Yeah, that'd be great. I mean, I don't have another appointment for a while now."

He smiled at me. I smiled shyly back. Then I realized there was nothing to stop me so I grabbed him roughly and kissed him with a passion I didn't know I had. Instantly he was kissing me back and we had amazing hot sex on the hall floor.

I'm lying. But for a split second I truly considered it as a possibility. And it was hot, very very hot.

Instead I filled the kettle and switched it on. He followed me into the kitchen and leaned against the doorway, folding his arms across his chest in a way that showed all the muscles he possessed in the best possible light. I tried hard not to stare and blush. I'm not sure I succeeded.

I opened my mouth to ask him some inane question about plumbing when he opened his mouth too. We both stopped and this time I was definitely blushing.

"After you," he offered. He was kind of grinning at me like he was enjoying my blushing pink color.

"No, I was just going to make small talk," I stammered. "You know, while the kettle boiled." I glared at it, to emphasize my point. I glanced up at him; he was definitely smirking at me now.

"Tell you what, I'll phone the supplier right now. Then I'm all yours for small talk, big talk, whatever."

Why was hearing the word _big_ coming out of his mouth making me feel lightheaded? _Get a grip_, _Bella._

"I'll just step into the hall, while I rip a new one for whichever idiot packed the wrong pump in that box." He looked at me for a second more than necessary, before turning into the hall, flipping open his cell phone and pressing some buttons.

I turned back to the kettle and gave myself a stern talking-to about keeping calm. I readjusted my bra and checked my lipstick while I was at it.

As the kettle grew quieter I could hear Edward's voice in the hall. Hearing him getting all authoritative on someone might be all kinds of hot so I took a few steps closer. Straight away I could hear him. He was pleasantly explaining the situation and arranging a replacement with nothing but good manners. I added 'polite' and 'considerate of others' to my growing list of adjectives to describe Edward Cullen.

I was lost in this thought and so distracted that I didn't realize he had finished his call and had turned back into the kitchen and practically walked right into me. I was paralyzed by the sudden proximity of him and the scent of him again washed over me. He raised an eyebrow at me, obviously realizing that I had been listening.

"Hmm, ungh, hmm," I garbled. _Think straight, woman_! "How did that go?" _Playing it safe, admitting nothing_.

"Well, no point upsetting the office secretary so I explained the problem and they're going to send out a new one out," he explained. His voice was so smooth I was having trouble concentrating on what he was telling me. And we were still just inches apart. I took a few steps backward, just so I could regain focus. Of course, one of my kitchen chairs was angled out so I stumbled and had to right myself before reaching the safety of the other side of the kitchen. His face was a picture of concern and amusement as he watched my display of bad coordination.

"Nothing to worry about...I have clumsiness issues," I told him.

"I understand," he said. "Chairs jump out and ambush me too."

I was one hundred percent sure he was lying as he seemed nothing but graceful to me. But it seemed a nice thing to say so I smiled at him and tried to ignore the warm flush on my cheeks. I really should see a doctor about that.

I coaxed the coffee pot into action and was ready once again to start a conversation with Edward, which under normal circumstances would be perfectly within my capabilities. These, however, did not seem like normal circumstances. Edward Cullen was having the weirdest effect on my ability to act like a rational person. Just as I was about to speak, I heard my telephone in the living room. I turned towards it, already irritated with whoever was being so inconsiderate as to be phoning me, and then turned to Edward.

"I'm so sorry," I muttered. "I'll just get that. I'll be back in a second."

"Okay, no problem," Edward replied. Then he winked at me.

Something in my stomach twitched. Okay, maybe it was lower than my stomach. Seriously, this man either liked me or was evil and was driving me demented for his own cruel fun.

I grabbed the phone and barked into it. It was my old friend Angela. We had known each other since forever, since I moved into my dad Charlie's. We had gone to school together and, as she was the kind of patient and gentle friend every girl should have, we were still friends to this day. Angela had married her childhood sweetheart Eric and they were now the proud parents of my godson Ben. I listened to her let off steam about what the two-year-old terror had been up to this week and tried not to burst with the temptation to yell that I had to get off the phone to entertain the seriously hot man in my kitchen. I knew Angela would be more than happy to know that there was a handsome man in my apartment, especially if it increased my chances of post-Jacob fun. But I couldn't run the risk of Edward overhearing such a conversation; and anyway I had no idea what was actually happening in that whole department. Eventually I persuaded her I would come over and see her soon and set the phone back down in the cradle.

I ran my fingers through my hair and tried to saunter, in a casual manner, back to the kitchen. It was empty. I tried the bathroom; empty. I knew he couldn't, even in my wildest possible dreams, be in my bedroom, but I checked anyway. No sign of him. Edward Cullen had gone, vanished.

What had I done to deserve this?

xx~o~xx

I sank into my sofa, stunned. Where had he gone? Why had he not said goodbye? Did he think I was a maniac from whom he needed to escape? Maybe he knew I was close to throwing myself at him in the style of a crazy woman. Disappointment and shame crashed through me. I was frozen on the sofa, my confusion at his sudden disappearance swirling higher and higher. But my sense of preservation was there too; months of mending my broken heart over ratbag Jacob had instilled that in me.

After a few minutes I stood up and moved to my iPod and speakers. I found a favorite album and turned it on. My apartment might feel a little less empty if I filled it with music. Just as I felt the soothing beats of the first track hit me I heard a knock at the door.

I practically raced to it, steeling myself against disappointment at the same time. I swung it open. Edward was standing there, smiling a crooked smile back at me.

"Oh," I said. Yes, I am very eloquent under pressure.

"I went shopping while you were on the phone," he said, as he walked past me. I stood like some sort of Madame Tussaud's idiot. "I thought I would go and get us some pastries while you were busy. I didn't know what you'd like so I got a selection. Please don't say you're on a diet. Sit down and I'll pour."

Like a walking, moving, but still mute wax figure, I followed him into my kitchen and sat in the chair he pulled out for me. I watched him open a box from the bakery and fill a plate with eclairs and doughnuts. Then he poured two cups of coffee and brought them over too.

"Do you take milk? Sugar?" he asked.

I laughed. "Shouldn't I be asking you that? I did offer you coffee and it is my kitchen."

"Well, you were busy and I'm used to finding my way around in other people's kitchens...well, the kitchens of my nicer clients."

"Probably the least they can do when you are about to unblock their kitchen sink, or whatever grim task you have to do," I smiled at him as I brought over the milk and sugar. Thank God I had not dissolved into a crying wreck when I thought he had disappeared.

"True, I do get up close and personal on some jobs," he said. He gazed at me for a second and then looked down to stir his cup. My hands started feeling strangely sweaty. The words up, close and personal coming out of his mouth while he was staring at me was making my head spin. I'm pretty sure he knew it too.

"Pastry?" He offered up the plate and I took one, but wasn't sure I could eat it with any decorum. Perhaps he was wanting to watch me lick cream off my lips... perhaps he would lean over and wipe it off for me, running his finger along the length of my lower lip. I thought about letting him do that and then taking his finger deep into my mouth and sucking it.

I think I may have let out a tiny gasp.

Edward looked up at me expectantly.

"Wow, lovely pastries!" I enthused, trying to cover up my cream porn moment.

I selected the one that looked least likely to cause me maximum embarrassment and put it on my plate. I certainly wasn't on a diet. I just wasn't sure I could talk sensibly and eat gracefully at the same time in front of Edward.

"So, important phone call?" he asked me, as he devoured a chocolate eclair.

"Well, only if you consider your toddler drawing on your walls with a felt-tip pen the day before your mother-in-law arrives to be a national emergency," I explained. I told him about Ben's antics, which were many.

"What about your family, Bella? Are they near you?" he asked. I noticed again how his voice was soothing and hearing it made me relax a little. I told him how I had tried living with my mother Renee but eventually had given up and settled for a quieter life with Charlie, my dad. Renee wasn't a bad parent; she just had strong ideas and little conviction about seeing many of her plans through. When she had married nice-but-dopey Phil I had thrown in the towel and left them to it. Life with my dad was stable, mostly uneventful and hassle free. When I was old enough to leave home, I studied business and marketing and ended up taking a job two hours away from Charlie. But we were still close enough to phone each other regularly and visit from time to time. Renee's visits were more sporadic but that suited me, as they were usually exhausting.

Edward listened intently while I told him all this, stirring his spoon in his cup as he watched me trace patterns on the tablecloth. He was a good listener and I suddenly realized I had done nothing but talk for the last ten minutes.

"What about your family?" I asked, wanting a chance to hear his voice and watch his gorgeous lips moving.

"There's my dad and I have a sister. Our mom died when I was young and it was just the three of us for a long time. Except my sister, Rosalie, is getting married soon. A week from Saturday, actually."

"How lovely, a family wedding," I said, wanting him to carry on.

"Yeah, Emmett's a cool guy. They've been together a long time and they're perfect for each other."

"They're obviously in love then?" I encouraged.

"In love, oh you could say that. I just hope they manage to keep their clothes on until the end of their wedding reception," he responded in a droll tone. The result of this was me snorting into my coffee; proper snorting, with spluttering and everything.

He reached out and patted me on the back as I tried to regain my dignity. Damn, I had been fantasizing about Edward touching me since I laid eyes on him but I don't think this counted. Coughing and spluttering was not a sexy look. "I'm fine, thanks," I wheezed.

As the coughing eased up I tried to lower my hand from where I had been covering my mouth. My bracelet suddenly caught on my knit top, pulling on the fine weave. I fumbled to release the catch, not wanting to ruin my top.

"Here, let me help you with that," Edward said, lifting his hands and encircling my wrist with his fingers. He twisted the bracelet to angle the catch towards him more. I stopped breathing. His fingers were cool and smooth and his touch was like ice to my heated skin. I don't know how long we were caught there in that moment, me not breathing, and getting lightheaded, and him only inches from my face as he tried to unlatch the bracelet.

"It's no good, Bella, you'll need to take your top off," he suddenly announced.

I gasped and held my head rigid while his command whirled through my head. He leaned his head to one side as he considered my expression.

"Wow, Bella, you are very suggestible, aren't you?" he chuckled, shaking his head slightly.

_Try me, try me!_ I thought to myself.

"Come over here into the light," he said, standing up and leading us over to my kitchen window. A few seconds later the catch was undone and he released my wrist, his fingers brushing against the soft part of my wrist as he withdrew his hand from me. We were just inches apart. The next move was his. The suspense was killing me.

"I need to go. Thanks for the coffee and the chat," he said to me.

"Thank you for the pastries," I added, trying to keep the ring of disappointment out my voice. "Very thoughtful and ... delicious."

_Christ, what was I saying?_

"How about I come back on Monday to look at your shower? I'll come over in the evening, so you don't need to take anymore time off work."

"Thanks, that's great. I promise I'll be dressed this time." I laughed lamely at my own joke.

"Not strictly necessary," he muttered quietly. I stared at his back, as he walked to my front door. Did he really say that? Was I hallucinating?

He reached the door and turned around. "Great music, by the way. Muse? Have you seen them live?"

"No, I haven't," I said.

"You should, you really should," he said and his eyes were twinkling. "I'll let you know if they're playing live near here anytime soon."

My heart was pounding again. Loud enough that he could probably hear it over any Muse song. "Well, that would be great, thanks," I replied.

Date, date! my mind was shouting at me. No, no, just a friendly offer, my brain was shouting at me. I'm sure my scarlet face told him the whole story.

"I'll see you on Monday," I added as he opened the door and walked through it.

"It's a date," he answered as he headed down the stairs. Edward grinned at me and flashed me a set of perfect white teeth as he disappeared from view.

He was flirting with me. And I loved it. And I couldn't wait for Monday.

xx~o~xx

The weekend dragged. Esme took me out for lunch on Saturday and gently quizzed me about the reason for my lack of concentration at the office. I told her bits and pieces, not committing myself to revealing too much, considering nothing had actually happened yet. She seemed satisfied with my cautious answers; she could read the signs. I was not dwelling on Jacob and that was reason enough for her to be pleased.

On Sunday evening I carefully picked out an outfit to wear on Monday. This time I wanted to answer the door fully clothed and looking effortlessly gorgeous. I also spent an hour or so working on a presentation for some shit-hot client we had coming in on Tuesday. Marcus wanted to see it on Monday to make sure it covered everything and I had spent most of the week before preparing for it. Eventually I crawled into bed, exhausted from my excitement about seeing Edward the next evening. I sank into sleep gratefully.

Monday stretched on and on and felt twice as long as the whole weekend. Marcus the Asshole was bursting his own blood vessels over this visit from Aro Bigshot, the client expected the next day. He had watched my presentation warily and I had twitched impatiently while he considered his verdict. In the end he decided it was fine and demanded only a few changes. It was with some irritation I lugged home my laptop to go over it that evening to finalize everything. I really didn't want any interruptions during Edward's visit.

Once I had finally escaped from the office and arrived home I found I was too nervous to eat so I set the laptop on the coffee table and switched it on. Angela and Ben came over unexpectedly to fill me in on the dreaded visit from Eric's mother. I was forced to confess about Edward's impending visit and she quickly scooped Ben up with squeals of delight and made me promise to phone her with an update as soon as possible. I had barely straightened up the living room when the doorbell rang.

I was ready. Oh boy, was I ready.

I opened the door. "Hello Edward. Right on time, not too early today," I smiled at him.

He grinned back. "Bella ... and you are fully dressed this time."

Damn. He knew exactly how to make me blush. I tugged at my silk blouse nervously. As he walked in through the door I could feel his eyes travel the length of my body, from my head to my toes. Jeez, I felt a bit faint. And that was just him looking at me. It occurred to me that the touch of him might result in some life-threatening emergency that would require an ambulance.

Edward made a noise like he was clearing his throat and he headed into the bathroom. From there he shouted out to me that he would get started. I could hear the noise of him unpacking tools and moving around.

I headed into the kitchen and set the kettle to boil. While it did that I crossed the living room and put Muse on the speakers. Well, I knew he liked them so it couldn't hurt.

After a few minutes I decided to sit down at the laptop and tweak my presentation as per Marcus' instructions. It hummed a while and I spent a few minutes trying to find the file I needed. Then I started to feel a bit panicky. Add on a few more minutes of the same and I was feeling a huge amount of panicky.

It was not there.

I flipped relentlessly through folders looking for it. Every time I came to a dead end. I could feel tears rising up and threatening to spill out. I didn't love my job but I didn't hate it either. Plus I didn't want Marcus' scorn poured over me. He was going to string up some of my essential internal organs outside the office as a warning to any other member of staff who was contemplating being incompetent.

Through my fog of despair I heard Edward's voice.

"Hey, Bella, were you making coffee?" he said to me.

I was frozen. I couldn't move. My body was locked in some sort of motion paralysis.

He appeared in front of me. Then he knelt down so he was level with me. I couldn't look into his beautiful eyes for fear I was about to have some sort of panic attack.

"Shit, Bella, what is it?" His voice was full of concern.

I knew I had to tell him. Besides, there was no one else here to help me.

"My presentation...it's gone," I gulped out in a small voice. "My boss is going to kill me."

"Oh...that kind of boss? The murdering type?" Edward's tone was jokey but my face was emotionless. I was still fighting the panic attack.

"I'm going to make you a drink and then we'll figure this out," he said and before I could say a word he disappeared into the kitchen. A minute later he put a cup of tea in front of me.

"Good for shock. But I notice you have wine. Drink that first." Edward sat down beside me, our knees brushing together. My mind was starting to veer between desperation over my missing presentation and exploding excitement about having Edward Cullen sitting next to me on my sofa.

"Okay, what is the file called and why would it have disappeared?" He probed gently as he angled the laptop towards him and started moving his slender fingers over the mouse pad.

"I think Ben made it disappear," I answered in a whisper. "I mean, I had the laptop set up and it wouldn't have taken long for him to mess around with it, I was out of the room a few times. I should have realized. It's not his fault. I mean, who leaves their computer in front of..."

"Whoa, slow down, Bella! First, who the hell is Ben?" Edward asked gruffly.

Was there a twinge of jealousy in his voice?

"My godson, he's two. Likes buttons and things that bleep," I replied.

"Oh, right, I remember. Yeah, I can see the keyboard may have been a little too tempting for him." Edward was still concentrating on searching the screen. I sat quietly, trying not to think about Marcus' face if I had to tell him the presentation had vanished.

"Here, is this it?" he asked, turning the screen towards me.

"Oh my God, yes...where was it?" I stared at it in disbelief.

"Ben must have pressed delete. It was in the Recycle folder. Easy to retrieve it." Edward was looking at me with a strange intensity.

"But you are a plumber," I said dumbly. "I mean, how did you know how to find it?"

Edward laughed. "I don't spend all my time with pipes and taps. This is the twenty-first century. I have worked with computers before."

I blushed furiously and chewed my lip. He had just saved my ass and I managed to repay him by insulting him. He was probably going to exit my apartment any second now. The stress of the situation suddenly became too much and to my shame I felt two huge tears roll down my cheeks.

Edward looked at me in amusement. "Bella, it's okay. Your boss will let you live tomorrow."

As he said this he put his hand on my back and rubbed circles over my shoulder blades. His fingers felt strong and soothing. I sobbed once and drew in a ragged breath. I wiped the tears off my face and turned to him.

"I am very grateful. I don't know how to thank you." I looked up at him, trying to memorize the feeling of his hands rubbing circles on me and the feel of his eyes on me at the same time.

"You're welcome. Cullen Plumbing and Computer Services are happy to help." He gave me the lopsided grin which made me feel funny.

His hands stopped moving. But they stayed on my back. Edward moved a fraction closer to me.

"There's just one thing I'd like to try," he murmured.

Edward moved his head closer and touched his lips to mine. He softly kissed me and pulled back for a second. When I stayed perfectly still, hardly daring to let myself breathe, he pressed his lips to mine again. His lips were smooth. His scent was divine; it was making my head spin. He was kissing me sweetly, tenderly. I returned his kiss in the same way, letting his lips explore mine slowly and gently. My heart felt as if it might possibly beat itself out of my chest with the thrill of it.

His hand roamed across my back slightly and I felt my body shift towards him. His other hand touched my waist and I could feel the heat of it through my blouse. A small whimper escaped from my throat and his grip grew firmer, his lips pressing harder against mine. His tongue touched my lips and I froze under the delicious sensation of it. I opened my lips and his tongue started to explore my mouth. If I thought the sight of him and the smell of him were good, the taste of him was probably ruining me for any other man.

Edward leaned into me and we tipped backwards into the cushions of the sofa. His hand was still on my back, supporting my weight and his other hand traveled up from my waist, skimmed along my arm, to my jaw, and then to the soft skin of my neck. His fingers were burning a trail on me; there may have been sparks and smoke. His kiss grew stronger. I could feel a slight scratchiness from his chin and I raised my hand up to brush my fingers along his jawline. It had been a long time since I had been so close to a man, and suddenly I wanted to touch him everywhere.

The touch between us was getting more insistent and Edward was leaning so far into me that we were not far from horizontal. I let my arms drift down to touch his arms and felt the hard muscles through his white t-shirt. Thoughts of him lying on top of me, supporting his weight as he kissed me all over, spilled into my head. My legs felt like jelly and my insides felt like they had been lit up with electricity. Yep, I was one big mass of highly charged goo.

He reached his hand down and touched my bare leg just below the knee. The sensation of his hands touching me there was enough to make me mewl like a kitten. Edward ran his fingers round the back of my knees and stretched them just inside my skirt so he was stroking the bottom of my thigh. I swear there were tiny shooting stars zipping up and down my veins at this point. This was going down as the best kiss in my entire life. _Take that, Jacob Black._

Suddenly he paused. He broke the kiss but planted a small kiss at the side of my mouth before he spoke.

"I'm doing this all wrong, Bella," he said.

"No, it seems right to me, Edward," I replied breathlessly. I peeked up at him.

He laughed. "No, I mean, we are doing this in the wrong order. I was going to ask you out on a date first. Kissing later."

"Oh no, no, no!" I stated, rather more aggressively than I intended. "I mean... kissing right now is fine with me. Dates are overrated."

Edward stared at me, obviously trying to decide if he needed to leap from my window and take his chances before I tied him up and held him hostage. Then he chuckled and smiled at me. He reached out and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear.

"Funny and sexy, Bella Swan. You are quite the package. That fool was an idiot to let you go," he announced.

_What? _That combination of words was unexpected.

He looked a little like a kid with his hand in the cookie jar as I pulled myself upright and fixed a beady stare on him.

"What did you say?" I asked him carefully.

"Umm, I said, any man who let you go was a fool," he said quickly, as if saying the words fast would work in an effort to soothe me.

"No, no, that is not what you said," I countered. "You definitely said _that fool_, like you knew him. _Jacob._ Do you know him?"

"No, no, definitely not," Edward swooped in as if to kiss me again, but I wasn't prepared to be that easily distracted. I planted a hand on his chest to stop him and he sighed.

"Well, I might have seen you and him from afar," he admitted in a I-may-as-well-confess-all voice.

"Edward, have you been stalking me?" I questioned.

Edward had been stalking me and I hadn't noticed? What was wrong with me?

"Christ, no, nothing like that. I did a job across the street about seven months ago. I noticed the two of you, and then he wasn't around any more and I put two and two together." He had the grace to look a tiny bit embarrassed as he divulged his stalking strategy.

"Is there more to this story?" I wasn't taking the chance that we hadn't covered everything.

"Umm, well, I did put a lot of fliers through your mailbox, just so you would have my number."

"And then just hoped I would have a plumbing emergency and call you? Oh my god, please tell me you didn't break into my apartment and sabotage my shower?" How was I going to explain this to my father, the chief of police?

Edward lifted his head and laughed and shook his head. "No, I didn't go that far. But I was very, very happy to get your call." He punctuated each 'very' with a kiss, which was distracting as hell.

"Okay, I just have one more question," I was starting to lose concentration as Edward starting kissing my neck.

"How many other women have you performed mass leaflet drops on, in the hope they will call you?" I stuttered as he moved his gorgeous lips over my skin.

He froze and then brought his eyes level to mine. He stared at me for a long second before answering, "None, Bella, just you. Please believe me."

Suddenly he swung himself off the sofa and was kneeling on the carpet. He grabbed my hand and kissed it. He looked into my eyes.

"Bella, I know this is quick but will you do me the great honor..."

I stared at him, speech and all decision-making ability temporarily suspended.

"...of being my guest at my sister's wedding this weekend?"

"Yes, Edward, I will," I heard myself say.

Thank goodness my shower pump had worn out. Thank goodness Jacob had fallen in love with someone else. Thank goodness my friend Alice was a stylist who could find me the perfect outfit at short notice.

Edward had been hoping for my call. Edward had been waiting for me to walk into his life. Edward was on his knees, holding my hand, asking me to be part of his future. I glued myself to his lips, heard him moan into our kiss and wondered how I should thank him for his exceptional customer service.


End file.
